German Payphones List
Click here for German Payphones
Click here for German phone booth kiosks
Public payphones in Germany developed under the Deutsche Reichspost from the late 19th century, evolving from operator-assisted call points to coin-operated “Münzfernsprecher.” By the 1920s–30s, standardised electromechanical units used coin validation, timing mechanisms, and switching systems to automate calls, installed both in buildings and early kiosks.
During World War II, infrastructure was heavily damaged. In West Germany, the Deutsche Bundespost rebuilt and modernised the network, introducing electronic payphones and the iconic bright yellow kiosks that became a familiar streetscape element. In East Germany, the Deutsche Post maintained a more limited and less advanced system (but large in importance as they were often the only telephone available)..
Following German reunification, networks were unified under Deutsche Telekom (split from Deutshe BundesPost in 1995), with upgrades to card-operated and digital payphones. The system peaked in the 1990s (along with the introduction of some private payphone companies) before declining with mobile phone adoption. By the early 2020s, virtually all public payphones had been removed. Some surviving yellow kiosks and others have since been repurposed, commonly converted into small community libraries, book exchange points, or art installations, preserving their cultural presence despite the loss of their original function.